Changes to services at Royal Glamorgan Hospital Allison Williams Chief Executive Cwm Taf University Health Board
Things to cover tonight: Recap on the outcome of the South Wales Programme What changes are taking place? What does this mean? What progress has been made so far? Questions
Recap on the outcome of the South Wales Programme Major public consultation covering 4 health board areas Concentrated on A&E, inpatient paediatrics and consultant led obstetric services Set up to address the challenges faced by many hospitals in recruiting and retaining highly skilled staff in certain speciality areas.
Recap on the Outcome of the SWP Concluded that obstetrics, paediatrics and emergency medicine would in future need to be provided at fewer hospitals across South Wales Prince Charles Hospital identified as one of five hospitals that would continue to provide these services The Royal Glamorgan Hospital would provide a midwifery-led birthing centre as well as a new Paediatric Assessment Unit, which would continue to provide care for the majority of children locally.
What s been happening since the consultation finished? A&E Manpower changes A&E services remain at RGH Acute Medicine Model implemented at RGH Diagnostic Hub developed at RGH Paediatric Assessment Unit trialled at RGH Business case for additional facilities in PCH approved by Welsh Government and building work underway
So what happens next for maternity services? All ante-natal clinics, scans and tests during pregnancy will continue at RGH and PCH exactly the same as now. A free-standing, midwifery led birthing centre, open 24 hours, for uncomplicated births, will be established at RGH. Consultant-let maternity services (and Special Care Baby services) will transfer to PCH.
What s does this mean for children s services? The hospital will still see and treat the vast majority of local children in a new Paediatric Assessment Unit, open seven days a week from 8am 10pm led by Consultants. Outside of these hours, and for very serious injuries or illness, children will be referred to Prince Charles Hospital or the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
How will it all fit in? A major expansion is underway at Prince Charles Hospital and is due for completion later this year. The 6M scheme will deliver state of the art: 19 cot local neonatal unit; Redeveloped obstetric labour ward with 6 birthing rooms including a birthing pool; Alongside midwifery birthing centre, with two birthing pools.
What else? The new model for the Paediatric Assessment Unit at RGH has been successfully tested and showed we can care for the majority of children locally. We are recruiting additional paediatric nursing staff and providing additional training and skills to our A&E staff to support the changes. We have been working closely with staff to deliver these changes. There will be a new system in place for ambulance transfer of any children that need to move to another hospital
What will happen to the children s wards at RGH? The wards will become the Paediatric Assessment Unit and the Day Case Unit for paediatric day case surgery and paediatric investigations. We are also looking at delivering services such as Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and community services from this site.
What about the small number of children who currently have open access to the ward in RGH? We will work with each family individually to have a plan of care for their child If clinically appropriate, this may include open access to the PAU
Why can t you just keep the services running as they are now? The reason we are having to change is that there are not enough Doctors to provide 24/7 cover at all the hospitals; Without resident Paediatric Doctors out-ofhours, we can t safely: Look after sick children on the ward or the Neonatal Unit overnight Deliver high-risk babies who may need support from a Paediatrician
In summary, at RGH.. Paediatric Assessment Unit Operating seven days a week from 8am 10pm (with admissions until 8pm) Led by Consultant Paediatricians. The small number of children assessed as needing inpatient admission will be transferred to PCH A & E Continue to see and treat all minor injuries 24 hours a day. Children suffering a very severe illness or injury will be taken directly by ambulance to the most appropriate hospital, as happens now. Obstetrics and Gynaecology Ante-natal and Gynaecology outpatients Gynaecology Inpatients / Daycases Free standing Midwifery-led Unit for appropriate births
and at PCH.. We will provide the same range of services as RGH plus: Consultant-led obstetric care in labour for a greater number of women across Cwm Taf Facilities for women who wish to birth in an alongside midwifery unit; Provide the local neonatal unit for Cwm Taf residents Provide paediatric inpatient care 24 hours a day as now. Babies requiring the highest level of intensive care support will be treated at the tertiary centre at University Hospital of Wales as happens now
What s next? We will continue to work with our staff to implement the changes The building work will be completed later this summer and we will fix the exact date for the service move 3 months beforehand We will communicate with the public about the changes and how to best access services in the future
Until then it s business as usual at RGH! Questions?